Humidifying apparatus.



A. J. DRONSFIELD. HUMIDIFYING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DB0. 27, 1910.

1,002,905., l Patented Sept. 12, 1911.

ALBERTJ. DRONSFIELD, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

HUIVIIDIFYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented sept. iaiaii.

Application. filed December 27, 1910. Serial No. 599,465.

der pressure, steam, or other fluid, creates a i vacuum to raise the water, and also pulverizes the particles of the latter as they are dis- Such an apparacharged from the nozzle. tus is that shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 869,945 dated November 5th, 1907. In this type of apparatus during the raising and. lowering of the fluid pressure due to starting or stopping of the flow of the fluid there is -a period of time during which the pressure is gradually raised or lowered at the nozzle,

and at such times the fluid pressurev 1s insufficient to atomize or pulverize the liquid which exudes from the nozzle in drops until a certain pressure of the fluid has been reached sufficient to properly atomize the liquid. The resultant dripping of the liquid from the nozzle upon the floor, 'maehincry, or other objects below the system is highly objectionable and injurious.

The essential objects of, my invention are to prevent the dripping; and to attain thisend automatically, certainly and in a simple and inexpensive manner, and by means adapted to use in existing-systems without reorganization of the latter.

Other objects will be hereinafter set forth.

rI`o the ends above set forth and referred to essentially my invention consists in such novel parts and combinations and arrangements of parts as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts fthrougliout the views, Figures 1 and 2 are side and front elevations respectively of the vaporizing portion of a humidifying apparatus embodying my invention, and in the present instance comprising certain of the parts disclosed in the Letters Patent above referred to. Fig. 3 is a section taken on line a. ofl Fig. 2. Fig. 4, a section on line. 7/ y of Fig. 1, and Fig. 5, is a detail side elevation of the valve cap.

The structure herein shown comprises a liquid conduit 1 provided with a coupling 2 carrying an upright nipple 3 supporting a hollow cap 4 from which extends ay liquid supply pipe 5 which is secured by a coupling nut 6 to a liquid plug 7 which is threaded as at S in a transverse cylindrical opening 10 in the head 1l. Seated in the end of the plug 7 concentric therewith and extending into the cylindrical opening or chamber 10 is a nozzle 14. The fluid conduit 18 has a coupling 19 supporting a vertical pipe 2O provided with threads 21 engaging internal threads 22 of a Valve case 23 comprising in detail an opening 24 leading to a central chamber 25 communicating through an opening 26 at right angles to the opening'24 with a passage 27 leading to a chamber 28 in the upper extension 29 of the case 23. The case 23 is provided with a horizontal extension or cylinder 32 provided with a central piston chamber constituting a part of chamber 25. The outer end of the cylinder is provided with internal threads 33 engaging external threads 34 upon .the reduced forward portion 35 of a plug or cap 36 pro vided lwith an opening 37 in whichis seated this outer end of a helical spring 39. A central hole 40 in the end of the plug 36 opens into the chamber or opening 37 to form a free vent for the piston chamber. The exterior of the plug 36 is hexagonal as at 41' to facilitate the use of a wrench. The forward 'end of the reduced portion 35 is internallybeveled as at 42.

Slidably mounted in the chamber 25 is a piston 45 provided with a counterbored chamber 46 to receive the inner portion of the spring 39 whose inner extremity presses against the inner face 47 of Jthe piston 45. 'Integral with the forward end of the piston 45 is a head 49 of reduced diameter provided with a rounded or hemispherical end 50 .adapted to abut against a conical seat 51 in the valve case 23 concentric with the passage 26'and adapted to close the same. The rear end of the piston 45 is provided with an external bevel or rounded portion 52 adapted to engage the beveled end 42 of the plug 3G. When thus engaged the bevel 42 forms a stop for the outward travel of the piston and also cuts olf the passage of any fluid which may pass along the exterior of the piston. The spring 39 normallypresses the -head 49 into its seat 51. The strength of sage 61 leading from pipe 57 into an annular passage 62 formed in the exterior of a hollow plug 63 frictionally mounted in the head l1 within the' cylindrical opening 10 and forming a vacuum chamber 64. Inclined tangential openings 65 lead from the' annu! lar passage 62 to the vacuum chamber 64 in the plug 63\adjacent the end of the nozzle. Fixed to or integral with the end of the plug 63 is a plate-66 provided With central per oration 67 in alinement with the noz- K zle 14.

into chamber 28.

The operation ofthe described device is as follows: Liquid asses by gravity through conduit 1 and into nipple 3 to a point slightly below the cap 4. yMeanwhile fluid is admitted to the head 11 through conduit 18 and pipes 20 and 57 and the valve case 23. ln more detail the fluid passes from the pipe 21 through the opening 24 into the chamber 25 where its advance is cut off by theend 50 of the piston held in its valve seat 51 by the spring 39 thereby closing the opening 26. At a certain determined pressure the fluid Ain the chamber 25 overcomes the ten` sion of the spring 39 and moves the piston outwardlyuntil its end 52 engages the surface 42 of the plug 37 thereby withdrawing the head 49 from its seat and-allowing .the fluid to traverse opening 26 and passage 27 Thence the fluid passes through passages 61, 62, and openings into vacuum chamber 64, escaping through opening 67 and forming a partial vacuum at the end of nozzle 14.. This causes the liquid to rise'and flowthrough the pipe 5 and from the end ofthe nozzle where it is vaporized by the rapid rotation of the fluid through the tangential openings 65.

Referring again to the movement of the piston 45, immediately upon the opening ot passage 26 the pressure in chamber 28 is equal to the pressure in the conduit 18 insuring a sufficient pressure of the fluid to completely atomize the liquid drawn from the nozzle 14, thereby insuring that no interval of insufiicient fluid pressure shall occur. Immediatelyupon the falling of the fluid pressure in thepconduit 18 the piston head under pressure of the spring closes the opening 26 immediately, shutting ofi' the A further flower' fluid through the passage 27 and thus preventing continuation of the action of the fluid upon the liquid at any degree less than the pressure determined as the minimum atwhich the'liquid can be thoroughly vaporized.

It will be observed th at the valve or piston will open at a determined pressure from a source of supply admitting a liquid or fluid to a humidifying, liquid, or other moisture discharging system at the same pressure as that maintained in the source of supply; automatically closing when the liquid or fluid in the source of supply falls below the determined pressure and preventing the flow from the source of supply to the system until the determined or greater pressure is exerted.

Fluid is admitted to the second chamber at and above the pressure at which the valve is opened, lso that the'pressure in the upper chamber or outlet equals the pressure in the lower chamber. The valve is characterized by the novel capacity absent in check valves, flap valves or any other valve structures, namely by the avoidance of any differential in pressure between the feed inlet and discharge outlet. It is well known that in the present types of valves the pressure on the discharge side acting upon the rear face of the valve plus the force or agency tending to close the valve, equals the pressure in the feedinlet and upon the receiving face of the valve. In other Words, the fluid pressure on the rear face of the valve is less than the pressure `on 'the receiving face of the valve measured by the degree of pressure exerted by the closing agent. This valve as applied in the present instance insures that the fluid is admitted to the chamber 28 immediately uponthe opening of the closing agent 50 at the same pressure as that existing in inlet 20; and furthermore the fluid vis maintained in chamber 28 at the same pressure as that in inlet 20. The reason why in this case the fluid pressure is maintained equally in the receiving inlet and discharge outlet is because the force of' the fluid aets in a direction other than the direction of the normal course of the fluid. The pressure acting ou the closing agent is entirely independent of the fluid pressure passing in thev normal course into the discharge outlet 2S, and the closing agent is in no wise reacted on by the fluid in the discharge chamber, but is controlled by a yielding device of desired strength normally tending to close the passage. Upon this closing` agent the fluid pressure from the receiving inlet acts at all times with a pressure equal to the fluidpressure in the receiving inlet itself. Reaction of the fluid is yin this case avoided by reason of the fact that at notime does the fluid in the discharge outlet have access to the rear portion of the closing agent which, in the present instance, vis shown as a piston.

Both theliquid and. fluid inlet pipes are herein described as vertically disposed, and only one vaporizer is shown, bu( it will be ris innata l understood that said pipes may be disposed horizontally or at any desired angle relatively to the conduits, and that the nozzles are arranged as usual in multiple. y

Neither the fluid compressors nor source of steam is shown, as either are of any usual familiar construction.

lWhat l claim is,-

1. ln a. device of the type set forth, the combination vvith the vaporizer and the Waler inlet member, of a fluid inlet member opening into the vaporizer adapted to admit fluid under pressure to the 'vaporizer, and means in the fluid inlet member for automatically checking the flovv of the fluid to the vaporizer at a determined pressure of the fluid.

2. ln a device of the type set forth, the combination with the vaporizer and the Water inlet member, of a fluid inlet member communicating with the vaporizer for admitting fluid under pressure to the vaporizer, and means in the fluid inlet member for automatically admitting fluid to the vaporizer only above a minimum determined pressure.

8. ln a device ofthe type set forth, the combination with the vaporizer and the Water inlet member, of a fluid inlet member communicating with the vaporizer for admitting fluid under pressure to the vaporizer, and yielding means in the fluid inlet member for automatically controlling the admission of fluid to the vaporizer.

4. 1n a device of the type set forth, the combination with the vaporizer and the wa.- ter inlet member, of a fluid inlet member communicating With the vaporizer, a casing in the fluid inlet member provided With a piston chamber, a seat in the casing provided with an opening for the passage of a fluid, a piston in the chamber, a head upon the piston adapted to register in the sea-t, and spring means in the chamber engaging the piston for pressing the head into its seat.

5. ln a device of the type set forth, the combination with the vaporizer andthe Water inlet member, of a fluid inlet member communicating With the vaporizer, a casing in the fluid inlet member provided With a piston chamber disposed at right angles tothe fluid inlet member, a seat in the casing provided with an ope-ning to permit the passage of a fluid to the vaporizer, a piston mounted in the chamber, a head upon the piston adapted to register in the seat and close the opening, and means in the piston chamber engaging the piston for forcing the head into its seat at a determined degree of fluid pressure upon the piston.

(3. ln a device of the type set forth, the combination vvith the vapo'rizer and the liquid inlet member, of a fluid inlet member opening into the vaporizer, a casing in the.

fluid inlet member provided with a piston chamber and with an opening leading from thev pist-on chamber to the vaporizer, a second. opening in the casing leading from the piston chamberto a portion of the fluid inlet member remote from the vaporizer, a piston in the piston chamber adapted to receive against its forvvard face fluid ente-ring the chamber through the second opening, a head upon the piston adapted to register With theflrst opening, and a spring in the piston chamber engaging the rear face of the piston and adapted to force the head into the first opening When the fluid pressure upon the piston diminishes.

7, ln a device of the type set forth, the combination With the vaporizer and the Water inlet member, of a duid inlet member opening into the vaporizer and comprising a casing, a feed pipe leading to the casing, a discharge pipe connecting the casing and the vaporizer, said casing being provided With an intermediate chamber, and having an opening in the casing leading from said chamber to the discharge pipe, and having a second opening leading from the feed pipe i to the chamber, and yielding means in the chamber normally closingthe first opening adapted to disclose said opening by the pressure of a fluid passing through the second opening.

8. ln a device of the type set forth, the combination with the vaporizer and the device for feeding moisture thereto, of a casing, a fluid feed pipe opening into one end of the casing, a fluid discharge pipe connecting the casing With the vaporizer, said casing being provided with a piston chamber and With an opening communicating With the piston chamber and With the discharge pipe, and with an opening communicating with the piston chamber and vvith the feed pipe, a piston mounted in the-chamber adj acent the second opening, a head on the piston adapted to register with the first opening, a hollow plug in 'the casing at the end of the piston chamber, and a spring in the piston chamber abutting against the plug and engaging the pisto 9. ln a device of the type set forth, the combination with the vaporizer, the liquid inlet member, and the fluid inlet member, of a casing mounted in the fluid inlet member provided With a piston chamber and with an opening for the passage of fluid under pressure, and provided With an extension at right angles to the fluidinlet member and provided With internal threads, a hollow plug provided With a vent opening at one end and with a reduced beveled forward portion having external threads adapted to en- 'gage the first mentioned threads, a piston upon the piston adapted t0 register with the` -ter inlet member, of a fluid inlet member communicating with the vaporizer for admitting fluid under pressure to the vaporizery and means in the fluid inlet member 'for -automatically controlling the admission of fluid to the Va orizer;

11. In a deviceV 0f the type set forth, the

combination with the vaporizer and the water inlet member, of a fluid inlet member communicating with the Vaporizer for admitting fluid under pressure to the vaporizer and yielding means in the fluid inlet member for automatically controlling the admission of fluid to the Vaporizer.

In testimony whereof I havevaffixed my signature in resence of two Witnesses.

A BERT J DRONSFIELD. Witnesses:

HORATIO E. BELLOWS, ALFRED H. WHATLEY. 

